Fuel regulator



Dec. 27, 1938. Q H. HARRlsy l 2,141,436

FUEL REGULATOR original Filed Aug. 27, 1934l Ilm Patented Dec. 27, 1938 ffuNlr-Ep/STATl-:s PATENT- oFFIcE f l 2,141,436 Y Application August 27, 1934, Serial No. 741,708

Renewed May 24, 1938 l f My present invention relates to the automotive vehicle art, and has particular reference to fuel regulators for controlling the flow of fuel to the motor carburetor.

provide a regulator which will feed the fuel to the carburetor at a substantially uniform rate, and which will prevent vapor and air lock.

It is a further object of my invention to proo vide a `fuel supply regulation which will eliminate percolation. Y A

With the above and ,other objects and advantageous features vin view, my invention consists of a'novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction lwith the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined inthe claims appended lthereto.l

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front relevation showing the novel fuel supply regulator as positioned in the motor fuel line of an automotive vehicle;

Fig. y2 is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is va central vertical section of Fig. l; 25 Fig. 4 is aA perspective View of 'the regulator lock strap; andl Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are perspective views of the filter parts.

I have found it feasible to control the flow of 30' fuel to the carburetor so as to provide a steady uninterrupted flow under all'operatlng conditions, thuseliminating vapor lock and gas percolation. The :steady iiow offuel has been found to reduce wear and tear on the needle valve, and topermit a better and more accurate control of the fuel volume, thus decreasing the amount of gasoline used; moreover, it eliminates disturbances inthe fuel supply and permits a gravity separation of impurities, thus resulting in the feed of a purer 40 gas to the carburetor. A A

y To this end, I have provided a fuel supply regulator which is positioned in the fuel line adjacent the carburetor, and which receives the fuel from a fuel pump and vacuum tank, together with any 45 air present in the fuel lines and pump, the liquid being collected in the regulator',A with the air trapped above the liquid, and then filtered during its passage from the regulator to the carburetor, whereby a steady positive feed from the regulator to the carburetor is produced by the pressure action of the imprisoned air on the upper surface of the fuel. A preferred embodiment of the construction I have found suitable for the desired purpose is illustrated in the drawing.

I 5 In the drawing, the regulator I0 comprises a i The principal objects of my invention are toy carburetor.

5 Claims. (Cl. E10-165) 4 cap portion I I and a base I2, the cap portion hav-4 ing an` inlet opening I3 at one side thereof and a conduit I4 'of L shape functioning as an outlet conduit, the opening I3'and the conduit I4 being threaded to receive the usual nipple connections 5 from the feed pump or vacuum tank and from the carburetor. Threadedly seated-in the lower end of the conduit I4 is a filter support I5 of gen1 erally hexagonal form having an enlarged perforated head I6 at the lowerend thereof, a flow 10 conduit Il in the upper portion thereof; and a water drain lla which leads through the pera forated head I6 to the base I2. The fiow conduit Il is provided with lateral ports I8, I9 at its lower end, and communicates with the conduit l5 I4 at its upper end to permit flow from the separator chamber to the carburetor. A filter generally designated by numeral is positioned on the support I5, and includes a plurality of dished perforated washers 2| having perforations 22, 20 which are alternated with a plurality of dished spacing spiders 23, the assembled filter resting on a dished cone 2.4 seated on the head I6, and having a cup at its upper end, the cup being perforated to snugly fit the topof the support I5 .25 and to slide thereon, thus pressing down on the lter withdts lower edges to form a flow chamber, when the filter support, which has a threaded upper end, is threaded upwardly into the conduit I4. The base I2 has a recess or indentation 26 at its lower end; to receive a projection 21 of a strap member 28 which is adapted to encircle the base and to extend over the cap I'I between spaced flanges 29 which are on opposite sides thereof, and preferably integral with the cap, the upper end of the strap having a threaded opening 30 through which a lock screw 3| may be threaded so as to engage the top of the cap and maintain the regulator parts in assembled position. A ring gasket 32 of usual type is seatedin the cap to be engaged by the base when assembled therein.

The operation of the novel regulator is'now explainable in view of the drawing. vThe fuel enters through opening I3 andfills the regulator tothe level indicated bythe dotted line in Fig. 3, an air 45 pocket being formed above the fuel so as to receive any air from the fuel line'and to maintain a resilient cushion of air continually above the fuel, the latter passing inwardly between the filter plates and'upwardly through the lter plate openings into the chamber formed by the cup, and then through conduit Il and conduit I4 to the The elasticity of the air cushion, which is under compression, thus provides a steady flow of fuel to the carburetor and prevents air lock or vapor lock, as the vapor or air cannot pass to the carburetor. Moreover, the maintenance o f a steady level of fuel permits gravity separation of any solid matter from the fuel, the

lter functions as a self cleaninglter because pulsations, thus producing a smoother operationv at all speeds, and .particularly at idling speed. The cap and base are preferably of cast white metal, and the lter support, lter parts, and filter cup are preferably of brass.

While I have described a speciflc embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that desired changes in the size of the parts, in the materials used for the parts, and in the relative positioning and functioning of the parts, may be made to suit the requirements for dierent carburetors, vwithin the spirit and the scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fuel ow regulator, a base having a top, a fuel inlet in said top,l a fuel outlet in said top, a standard depending from said top, and having a central chamber communicating with said outlet, a member forming an annularchamber about said standard, lateral openings in -the walls of said standard communicating said chambers, said chambers havinga drainage passage communicating with the lower portion of said base, and a filter interposed between said inlet and said annular chamber.

2. In a fuel flow regulator, a base having a detachable top, a fuel inlet in said top, a fuel outlet in said top, a standard depending from said top, and having a central chamber communicating with said outlet, a member forming an annular chamber about said standard, lateral openings in the walls of said standard communieating said chambers, said central chamber having a drainage passage communicating with the lower portion of said base, a support extending laterally from the lower end of said, standard, and a filter positioned between said support and said member.

3. In a fuel flow regulator, a base having a. top,va fuel-inlet in said'tp, a fuel outlet in said top, a'standard depending from said top and terminating above the lower portion ofthe base, ,and havingl a central chamber communicating with said outlet, a cup depending downwardly fromthe upper portion of said standard to provide an annular chamber aboutsaid standard, lateral, openings in the walls of said standard communicatingsaid annular chamber with said central chamber, said central chamber having a drainage passage communicating with the lower portionof said base, and a lter extending from the rim of said cup to the lower portion of said standard.

4. In a fuel flow regulator, a base havinga top, a fuel inlet in said top, a fuel outlet in said top, a standard kdepending from said top and terminating above the lower portion of the base, and having a central chamber communicating with saidoutlet, a cup depending downwardly from the upper portion of said standard, to provide an annular chamber about said standard, lateral openings in thewalls of said standard communicating said annular chamber with said central chamber, said central chamber having a drainage passage communicating with the lower portion of said base', and a lter comprising perforated lter plates extending from the rim of said cup to the lower portion of said standard.

5. In a fuel flow regulator, a base having a detachable top, a fuel inlet in said top, a fuel outlet in said top, la standard depending from said top and having a centralchamber communicating with said outlet, a cup depending downwardly from the upper portion of said standard to provide an annular chamber about said standard, passageways in the walls of said standard for communicating the annular chamber with the central chamber, and filter means positioned about said standard and extending from the cup yils to the lower portion of said standard, whereby uid flowing from the inlet to the outlet passes through said lter.

. GUY H. HARRIS. 

